Misaki Puts Out a Hit on "Diesel"

Fighters.com’s eighth-ranked middleweight “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (20-8-2) will match-up versus “Diesel” Joe Riggs (28-10) at the Playboy Mansion in Beverly Hills, north of Los Angeles, 20 September.

“I  am looking forward to making my debut for Strikeforce at The Playboy Mansion, an incredible venue that is well-known throughout the world,” said Misaki, a former PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix Champion.

Misaki won a unanimous decisionover “Pink Pounder” Logan Clark(11-2) in Saitama, north of Tokyo, 8 June.

Of Riggs, Misaki said, “[He] is a tremendous competitor.  His style is aggressive like mine so I have no doubt that our fight will be an exciting and memorable one.”

Riggs tapped Matt Dempsey (1-1) in a rear naked choke in Prescott, north of Phoenix, 26 July.

The win was Riggs’s comeback from a back injury suffered in a loss to Cory Devela (9-2) in Tacoma 23 February.

“The back’s great.  It’s 100 percent,”  Riggs said.  “I’m really excited to be healthy again and looking forward to getting back on top.”

Riggs was pegged to fill-in for “Mr. International” Shonie Carter (44-17-7) versus Luke Stewart (5-1) in San Jose 27 June, but was denied a license by Armando Garcia’s California State Athletic Commission.